Co-op campaigns to break the ‘class ceiling'
15 June 2023
- Co-op launches 9-point plan on social mobility and also calls on other businesses to adopt measures to break the class ceiling
- Launches campaign for socio-economic background to become the 10th protected characteristic under the 2010 Equalities Act as 72% of people say they support a change in the law
- Extensive research from Co-op reveals that almost a fifth of people (17%) believe they have missed out on a job due to their background, accent or social status** and two-fifths (41%) of young people believe what they achieve in life is determined by background
- In a UK business first, Co-op has undertaken research with Making The Leap, a grassroots social mobility charity, to capture the diversity of views and experiences of Lower Socio-economic Background (LSEB) individuals across
15 June 2023 – Co-op is taking action to break the ‘Class Ceiling’, as new research has found that a significant number of people believe that what they achieve in life is dictated by their background.
Nearly a fifth (17%) of UK adults believe they have missed out on a job due to their background, accent or social status, with a tenth (10%) of people revealing that they have been teased for their accent. As a result, a quarter (26%) have changed the way they look for a job interview** and a tenth (11%) have changed the way they speak at work.
The research by ICM with over 8,500 people conducted on behalf of Co-op, looks at the experiences, life chances and impact of social mobility on young people and adults across the UK. Over two-fifths (41%) of young people believe what they achieve in life is determined by their socio-economic background. Over a third (34%) feel it is determined by where they come from, and a quarter (25%) see it being determined by their race or ethnicity.
Many believe the opportunities available to them are fewer and the outlook tougher, because of their background. Over a third (35%) of young people agree that lots of careers aren’t open to people like them and that their accent and the way they talk reduces the opportunities available to them (29%).
Where young people turn to for advice, are often their immediate circle therefore are more likely to be from their own socio-economic background or class, creating an echo chamber. When looking for advice, nearly three-quarters (71%) will look to their parents, nearly a half (49%) to their friends/peers.
Those who are the first of their immediate family to go or consider going to university are significantly more pessimistic about their future prospects than those who have relatives who are university educated. A third (31%) of first-generation university students believe they won’t achieve their career (31%) or life (29%) goals. This was the case for just a fifth (22%) of students who have immediate family members who are university educated.
In a UK private business first, Co-op has undertaken research with Making The Leap, a grassroots social mobility charity, to capture the diversity of views and experiences of Lower Socio-economic Background (LSEB) individuals across work levels, business areas, and a range of personal characteristics within the Co-op.
In light of the research, Co-op is introducing a 9-point business plan on social mobility, which includes: - Creating an internal social mobility taskforce to work through the findings of the research and report back to colleagues in June 2024. - Making changes to internal job adverts so that it’s easier for colleagues to see how their skills may suit a sideways move or promotion. Co-op has been focused on making its job ads more inclusive since 2018, this includes keeping essential criteria to an absolute minimum and avoiding desirable criteria entirely for example degree qualifications. - Continue with plans to improve its financial wellbeing offer to help colleagues be more financially resilient - Establish a new mentoring scheme for colleagues from lower socio-economic backgrounds (LSEBs), with mentors from LSEBs
In moves to break the ‘class ceiling’, Co-op has set out plans to ask Government to make socio-economic background a protected characteristic, and will look to publish a socio-economic class pay gap report in 2024. Through this work Co-op intends to elevate socio-economic background as a characteristic that should be considered alongside – and seen to be as important as - gender, ethnicity and disability.
The campaign by Co-op comes as almost three quarters (72%) would support a change in the law to make it illegal to discriminate against someone because of their socio-economic background, rising to over four fifths (85%) of 16-25 year olds.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of Co-op Group says: “Too often our life chances are defined by things outside of our control – be that gender, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic background. It cannot be right that those from less advantaged backgrounds are almost twice as likely to end up in working class jobs than others from more privileged backgrounds. It’s a question of fairness.
“Our evidence shows socio-economic background can act as a brake on progression and performance - this has to change. We want to lead by example, taking action to identify where unfairness is holding our people back. That's why we've announced a range of measures today to break through these barriers.
“And that's why we are also calling on the Government and other parties to make it a priority in their manifesto - for socio-economic background to be made the tenth protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010 and it becoming illegal to discriminate against an individual because of their background.”
Tunde Banjoko OBE, CEO of Making The Leap says: “For the past 30 years, Making The Leap has worked passionately to advance social mobility in the UK, from direct delivery with schools and young people to partnerships with employers.
“Every business and institution in the UK must embrace the challenge of social mobility if we are ever to move the dial, and high-quality evidence is essential to inform meaningful action. We were therefore delighted to conduct this in-depth study for Co-op, which highlights the great progress it has already made as well as key areas to improve.
“To its great credit, Co-op has not only commissioned and published this research, but most importantly, it is using its employees’ views and experiences as the foundation for commitments to real change.”
Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, Social Mobility Foundation added: "We welcome Co-op’s ambitious plan to improve social mobility and smash the class ceiling.
“The workplace is as important as the classroom for improving social mobility, and it is excellent to see Co-op take a lead on this issue. “As a business, Co-op has recognised that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and that when companies act, it makes a huge difference, especially when in conjunction with the views of their employees.
“We'd urge those employers not currently looking at socioeconomic diversity to get started."
John Craven, Director, Social Mobility Commission, said: "We commend Co-op for undertaking a deep dive into the experiences in the workplace of colleagues from different socio-economic backgrounds. Having both quantitative and qualitative data gives them a rich insight into the real-life experiences of their colleagues. This evidence enables them to build a robust action plan to address the challenges identified. The report provides important learnings for other employers in the sector, and beyond."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information, contact: pressoffice@coop.co.uk Case studies and spokespeople available on request.
About the research
ICM interviewed a nationally representative sample of 5,001 10–25-year-olds across the UK via an online survey between 17 March and 31 March 2023. Participants aged 10–15 (and some aged 16–17) were recruited through their parents; both participants and parents gave their consent to take part in the survey. Unless otherwise stated, all differences between demographic groups are statistically significant. Any differences which are labelled significant have been tested at the 95 per cent confidence level. The research was conducted in accordance with ISO 20252 and ISO 27001, the international standards for market research and information security management.
Walnut Unlimited interviewed a nationally representative sample of 3,592 people in the UK aged 16+, between 17th- 8th June 2023. Demographic and geographical quotas were set to ensure a representative sample. At the analysis stage, data has been weighted by age, gender, region and social grade, to the profile of the population of the UK. A boost sample of 587 young people aged between 16-25 was used to make sure the sample contained at least 1,000 young people. A core sample size of 3,592 produces data accurate to plus or minus (+/-) 2 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level. The boost sample of 1,004 produces data accurate to plus or minus (+/-) 3 percentage points at the 95 per cent confidence level. All differences highlighted in this summary are statistically significant at 95% confidence level. The research has been conducted in accordance with ISO 20252 and ISO 27001, the international standards for market research and information security management.
Making The Leap conducted in-depth qualitative research with Co-op employees from lower socio-economic backgrounds (LSEBs) from November 2022 – March 2023. All Co-op employees were invited to participate in the research via internal communication channels, and those who identified as LSEB (based on parental occupation at age 14) were eligible for the study. A purposive sampling approach was adopted to include LSEB individuals from a range of work levels, business areas and geographical locations, and to achieve a gender-inclusive sample. LSEB employees’ views and experiences of social mobility, inclusion, and belonging were explored across individual interviews, focus group discussions, and an online survey. Qualitative data from interviews, focus group discussions, and open-text survey questions were managed and analysed using the Framework approach, which allowed systematic analysis within and across cases. The research has been conducted in line with the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)’s research ethics guidance, the national standard for qualitative research.
Data source: State of the Nation 2022: A fresh approach to social mobility. Policy paper from the Social Mobility Commission, www.gov.uk
About Co-op: Co-op is one of the world’s largest consumer co-operatives with interests across food, funerals, insurance and legal services. Owned by millions of UK consumers, the Co-op operates over 2,500 food stores, over 800 funeral homes and provides products to over 5,000 other stores, including those run by independent co-operative societies and through its wholesale business, Nisa Retail Limited. Employing almost 57,000 people, the Co-op has an annual turnover of over £11.5 billion and is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes. The Co-op exists to meet members’ needs and stand up for the things they believe.
About Making The Leap: Founded in 1993, Making the Leap is a grassroots charity which works with schools, young adults, charities, and employers to advance social mobility and race equity in the UK. In addition to its direct delivery with schools and young adults, Making The Leap organises nationwide social mobility initiatives for employers and educators, including the UK Social Mobility Awards, the Social Mobility Podcast, and Social Mobility Day.